By Camille A. Aguinaldo
THE chairperson of the Senate committee on environment and natural resources expressed doubt that Boracay can be opened prior to its six-month period of rehabilitation, given its pace.
Interior Assistant Secretary Epimaco V. Densing III on Wednesday said the government is looking at a possible “soft opening” of the tourist island by the first week of September, a month before the closure period prescribed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte lapses.
“Even prior to the closure, we’ve already pinpointed specific milestones of the possibility of having a soft opening prior to the six months period given to us…At least prior to the closure, we have discussed at least the first week of September,” Mr. Densing told senators during the hearing on Boracay’s environmental woes. But he also said Task Force Boracay has yet to discuss the definition of soft opening.
Mr. Duterte had approved Boracay’s closure starting Apr. 26 after he described the tourist island as a “cesspool” due to its environmental problems. Senator Cynthia A. Villar, chairperson of the Senate committee on environment and natural resources, called for a hearing on Wednesday to hear updates on Boracay’s rehabilitation.
Mr. Densing clarified that the target date for the soft opening was not yet final as certain conditions had to be met before lifting the closure.
Part of the conditions, he said, was to ensure that the quality of water coming out of the island should be within standards set by the government for 30 days. He also said 50% of the illegal structures in the wetlands should have been dismantled already.
He also added that 70% of the road and drainage system being put up by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) should have been in place, establishments of the easement rule violators should have been completely dismantled, the five wetlands in Boracay where structures were built on should have been reclaimed, and the drainage issue should have been addressed as well.
“We will be finalizing it (referring to the conditions) in our next task force meeting,” he said of the inter-agency rehabilitation task force led by Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu that had been formed by the President through an executive order.
Ms. Villar, for her part, said, “With your condition, I don’t think you can open.”
She said the committee would be conducting a monthly hearing to monitor the progress of the rehabilitation.
Ms. Villar later told reporters: “Of course, two months pa lang tayo (we’re just two months), we still have four months to go. Kaya nga gusto namin every month maghi-hearing kami to give us an update para may some sort of pressure sa kanila to be able to accomplish something every month.” (Which is why we want a hearing every month to give us an update, so there will be some sort of pressure on them to be able to accomplish something every month.)
“I’m crossing my fingers na magsa-succeed sila (that they will succeed),” she also said.
It was also revealed during the hearing that government authority over the water utilities in Boracay remained unresolved. Both the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) and the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) are asserting regulation authority over the water concessionaires. According to Mr. Densing, the matter remained pending before the Office of the President (OP).
As a result, Ms. Villar said proper wastewater disposal has not been fully solved in the area since the two water concessionaires, Boracay Island Water Company Inc. and Boracay Tubi System Inc., have not yet divided which area they would supply water to and dispose the wastewater from.
“If you cannot resolve this issue, how can you open in six months?” she said.
For his part, Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon pushed for the creation of a single body that would manage Boracay Island, similar to the current Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA)
“What we would suggest is a strong administrator which can manage a place like this. It cannot be left to where it is today. All that we have now are ad-hoc solutions. We need a master plan and a master plan to be implemented by a single authority,” he said in a statement.
The senator has filed Senate Bill No. 1765 creating the “Boracay Island Council,” tasked to manage, develop, regulate, protect and maintain the island.

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